III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 331 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding fertility issues facing cancer 

survivors. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 14, 2005 

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. BURR, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and 

Mr. ISAKSON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding fertility issues 

facing cancer survivors. 

Whereas there are more than 10,000,000 cancer survivors in 

the United States, and approximately 1,000,000 of those 

survivors were diagnosed during their reproductive years; 

Whereas approximately 130,000 people under the age of 45 

are diagnosed with cancer each year; 

Whereas up to 90 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer 

under the age of 45 will undergo potentially sterilizing 

treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation; 

Whereas survivorship rates have dramatically increased so 

that 71 percent of patients who are diagnosed with cancer under the age of 45 can expect to live at least five 

years beyond the diagnosis of their disease; 
2 

•SRES 331 IS

Whereas long-term consequences of cancer treatment are of 

increasing concern to patients since they are increasingly 

likely to survive their cancer; 

Whereas the diagnosis of infertility can be as devastating for 

many patients as the cancer diagnosis itself; 

Whereas successful fertility preservation options for men and 

women exist and include: sperm banking, oocyte (egg) 

freezing, and ovarian and testicular tissue freezing; 

Whereas many cancer patients have the option of taking 

steps to preserve their fertility before their potentially 

sterilizing cancer treatment begins; 

Whereas many patients do not take steps to preserve their 

fertility before treatment because they are not informed 

by their health care professionals that their fertility is at 

risk, or, if they are informed of the risk, they are generally not counseled on their fertility preservation options; 

Whereas unrelated factors such as marital status or poor 

prognosis should not preclude certain patients from being 

informed about their fertility risks and options; and 

Whereas the 2003–2004 President’s Cancer Panel Report 

recognized that comprehensive written and verbal information regarding fertility side effects and fertility preservation options for all reproductive-age patients should be 

provided before treatment: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) cancer-related infertility is a serious quality 

3 of life issue for reproductive-age cancer patients; 

4 (2) national and community organizations 

5 should be recognized and applauded for their work 
3 

•SRES 331 IS

1 in promoting awareness of the risks of infertility and 

2 fertility preservation options for cancer survivors; 

3 (3) the medical community should increase its 

4 efforts to ensure that discussions about the risk of 

5 infertility and fertility preservation options are an 

6 integral part of pretreatment planning and consent 

7 for treatment for all reproductive-age patients; and 

8 (4) the Federal Government, acting through the 

9 National Institutes of Health, should endeavor to— 

10 (A) encourage research that will strength11 en fertility preservation technologies for cancer 

12 patients; 

13 (B) continue to consider ways to improve 

14 access to fertility preservation options for can15 cer patients; and 

16 (C) endeavor to raise awareness about the 

17 fertility side effects and fertility preservation 

18 options for cancer patients. 

Æ